Gamescom confirms plans for September ’09 developer conference

Organisers of next year’s Gamescom have confirmed that the Cologne-based even will boast a games development conference.

The inaugural conference takes place in September 2009, and comes as many of the participating publishers from the Leipzig trade and retail conference look to create a new event in better-located part of Germany.

Leipzig and its accompanying GCDC developer conference is still pencilled in to take place in August 09 – but the conference is without its organiser; former GCDC chief Frank Sliwka, who joined Gamescom last month, is running the rival show’s new developer event.

Sliwka and his company Global Games Media (GGM) are to organise the developer conference in Cologne, with plans to get over 1,000 attendees, all as part of the ‘internationalisation’ of the new event.

“We are delighted to be working with Frank Sliwka and Global Games Media. Their choice of Cologne and their confidence in the new trade fair location show us that we are on the right track and can establish gamescom as Europe’s trade fair and event highlight in a very short space of time", said a delighted Oliver P. Kuhrt, MD of Koelnmesse, host of Gamescom.